All Alright
by KingoftheMoon
Summary: Riku's happy to be back home with his friends, but the memories just won't stop. Suddenly, he sees someone who he thought he'd never meet again. Set after KH2, references to CoM and 358/2 Days. Includes lots of Roxas. SoRiku.


**PLEASE READ**

Okaaaayy... I hope you guys like this, but what I REALLY want to say is that this fic contains quotes and references to **Chain of Memories** and** 358/2 Days**. At the end of the fic I'll explain which quote belongs to which game, just in case you've only read the KH manga and the dialogue is different to the games, or you haven't finished playing and stuff. Enjoy!

* * *

**All Alright**

**_by King of the Moon_  
**

It was Kairi who realised it first.

She never said anything about it, but she knew something was different. Not in height, or the other physical changes in a person after a year, but it was something else.

It wasn't just the slouch of his figure and sag of his shoulders, but his heart too, seemed to be weighed down by something.

He was not the Riku she remembered, standing so tall and proud, face stern and just always _so very _self-assured.

Who was he now? So worn out, so humble, not wanting to get in anyone's way - It's like he was ashamed of something.

_Sora must know, _she thought. Sora was closest to Riku. He cared so much about him.

If he knew something was different, he would do anything to help. He doesn't know, she realised.

At first she had just brushed the changes off as a result of what he had been through – they had all been through a lot. But they were all back here, on the islands, together.

And then she realised she knew what _she_ had been through, Sora told her everything about his own journey – what had _Riku _been through?

**x**

Riku was in a constant state of not wanting to face anybody and always wanting to be there for his friends.

Memories would trickle back into his life at the islands. He had dealt with his inner demons on his journey, he was no longer a product of darkness only, but guilt still gnawed at him. _If it weren't for me…_

He remembered Castle Oblivion – where he was afraid of the Darkness he carried yet afraid of the Light that hurt him.

" _- want to see him…But, can you face him?"_

The memories were like static, and recurred. A friendly reminder of what he had become.

"_The world of Darkness and Ansem's shadow still nests within your heart. Do you plan to face Sora like that?"_

He would tell himself now that he changed. A balance of Light and Darkness.

"_Are you not ashamed?"_

He hurt these people, his friends. He betrayed them. How could he forget?

"_- fate is to battle the Darkness. He must oppose anyone who hosts the dark. In other words – it's you."_

**x**

They were sitting at the beach, enjoying their time together, never taking a moment for granted.

Wakka, Selphie, and Tidus were there. Sora chattered on excitedly about his adventures with Donald, Goofy and Jiminy. They were in awe, and laughed at the mischiefs the group would get up to.

"The four of you got really close, huh?" Kairi said, she was sitting next to him.

"Yeah," Sora stared into the sky, "we went through a lot together. I don't think I could've done it without them with me."

"Do you miss it?" Selphie asked.

He seemed struck by the question. But Riku knew he thought about it every day. "What, saving the worlds from total destruction?" he let out a short laugh, "I would never, ever, want to be separated again… but the excitement, the friends I made? The whole experience, yeah, I think back and I feel sad. I see the stars at night and I think of the gummi ship. I see a guy with a scar walk past me and I see Leon. So I guess I do miss it. But not as much as I missed home." He laughed again, sadly.

There was silence for a while. Kairi smiled at Sora and then turned to Riku.

"What about you, Riku? Do you miss it?"

Sora looked up, surprised.

Riku turned to look at Kairi, but shifted his gaze downward.

Did he miss it.

The feeling of being alone, discarded. Picked up and used. By Maleficent, by Ansem.

The feeling that he helped destroy not only the islands but other worlds too. He took hearts and turned people into Heartless and controlled them like puppets when he himself was a puppet.

The realisation that his heart had been completely corrupted by Darkness and that it had seeped into his skin.

The thought that he could never be completely saved by Light, not like Sora or anybody else. No, he _needed _the Darkness even when he was finally able to face the Light.

Did he miss it? The anger? The loneliness? The guilt?

"No."

**x**

When they were walking back home Sora let the others walk ahead, the four youths chatting happily to one another, and it was just Sora and Riku walking side by side far behind.

Without a word, Sora held his best friend's hand.

They walked silently.

**x  
**

"_Tell me first. Why you are dressed as one of us."_

"_To make sure my best friend rests in peace."_

Sometimes Riku would dream of memories he didn't remember.

"_This keyblade – it's a sham."_

" – _Why? You're the real sham!"_

"… _Fair enough. I guess you could say… I'm the biggest nobody of them all."_

Riku woke up, confused. Was that his subconscious making scenes up? He dreamt of a girl dressed in the Organisation coat. She was black-haired…she had a keyblade.

He shook his head. Probably his subconscious reminding him that he was worthless. _The biggest nobody of them all. _Still, it all felt so familiar. Like something he had buried.

It was too early in the morning but Riku was used to not being able to sleep and waking up at ungodly hours from nightmares and memories. Even before he got back home.

Luckily he _was_ home – he could take a walk without thinking about Heartless or Nobodies attacking at any direction.

He pulled off his pyjamas and got dressed, ran his fingers through his hair and brushed his teeth. His parents (who were still asleep) hated it when he would take walks with no one around, and the sun had barely risen. But dangers on the street could hardly compare to the monsters he faced; he had gone into the door of Darkness at the age of fifteen and battled Heartless with King Mickey for what seemed like _years. _

Plus, he had his keyblade.

The morning air was crisp and Riku could see his own breath, he walked aimlessly, and soon stores began to open.

He figured he should get some breakfast and went on his way to find any open café or bakery around. Then someone caught his eye.

Blonde, spiked hair and eyes just like Sora's.

He was standing under a tree, looking straight at Riku.

"_You really are his Nobody."_

"_I am ME!"_

"Roxas."

The boy, who physically wasn't even supposed to _be _there, did not reply or make any expression until Riku found a way to function his legs and walk up to him. When he did, Roxas allowed a small smile, almost sardonic.

"Riku," he nodded.

He was at a loss for words. A multitude of questions were crammed into his head – was he still dreaming? Was he hallucinating? Oh god, were the Nobodies back?

Riku settled for the most appropriate question:

"How are you here?"

"Who knows?" Roxas stared at the sunrise, "maybe I'm not here. Maybe it's a trick of the light."

"Pun intended?"

"I guess we never _really _know what the Light is up to."

Riku narrowed his eyes, still suspicious, "or the Darkness."

"I'm not here to cause any trouble, I'm not even sure if I'll be here for long," said Roxas.

"You belong in Sora," Riku said, but without vindictiveness.

Roxas stayed silent for a while and Riku didn't know what else to say to him. The last time they spoke…

"_How many times do I have to beat you?"_

"_All right. You've left me with no other choice."_

"_What?"_

"_I have to release the power in my heart – the dark power that I've been holding back. Even… If it changes me forever."_

"You could almost mistake the dawn for twilight," said Roxas, interrupting the memory. "Hayner, Pence, and Olette and I would watch the sunset all the time at the top of the station tower."

Riku knew he was talking about Twilight Town. The data version of it that DiZ had put him in.

"Before that, Axel and Xion and I did the same. After every mission we would always try to get there if we had enough time. We would eat ice cream and talk about anything."

Xion. The name tickled at the back of his mind.

"You don't remember her, do you?" Roxas said. "No one does. She was erased from reality. But it's like her memories became mine when I united with Sora. When I united with him I reunited with her, too." he didn't elaborate further.

"Do you hate me for taking you away from your friends?"

Riku knew he hated _himself _for it. Why was it that another's loss was his gain? Because who was he kidding – he hadn't protected the Keyblade Master for the fate of the worlds, he did it for Sora – and himself.

"I'm _Sora's _Nobody. I can't hate _you._" Roxas' eyes softened. "I just wish I took care of my friends more."

"I know the feeling," Riku said. "_I_ destroyed worlds and betrayed my friends."

"I'm sure if they realised the inner turmoil you were going through beforehand things would have been different," the blonde insisted.

The sky was beginning to turn more blue, shredding its pink and orange skin. "I'm the only one to blame."

"You know, maybe they should have taken care of _you _more."

Roxas looked at him sharply and Riku didn't know why that felt like a bullet wound.

Roxas continued, "Sora spent so much time with Kairi when she moved to the islands, didn't he? Even let her into The Secret Place which you two had vowed to keep a secret."

Riku had been ripped open, old thoughts and feelings were exposed. "How would you know anything?"

"I'm Sora's Nobody," Roxas repeated. "I know his memories and how he feels, especially now since I've merged with him. And you know what? He didn't know you had problems at the time because it's _you." _He paused as if to let it sink, "He thinks the world of you - he probably wasn't even aware of the fact that you're capable of having problems."

"I disappointed him on that one," _and a lot more._

Roxas scoffed. "Think what you want. But I'm telling you, it's hard to find someone whose heart not only survived corruption of the Darkness, but also found the Light in the midst of it."

His words triggered a memory that had been overlapped by the more miserable ones, "When I met Namine, she told me… she wanted _me _to face the Darkness, because I'm the one who _can," _Riku said slowly.

The blonde chuckled fondly, "She meant it, too. When _we _talked she straight out told me that I wasn't supposed to exist, and to think, I was lost and confused at the time too. She's honest like that."

Riku didn't answer.

"Riku," it was the first time he used his name, "You've _had _your redemption. If it weren't for you…"

Out of nowhere a new voice appeared, it was like a sound in a tin can, and a loud static noise played in his ears.

"Riku?"

_Sora._

The silver-haired youth turned to see his brunette friend walking toward him, concern swimming in his ocean eyes, and suddenly everything sounded normal again.

How was he going to explain what was happening when he himself didn't know? "Sora – I – " Riku turned to look accusingly at Roxas, but only the light shone in his eyes. No one was there.

Sora cocked his head to the side, "Was someone with you?"

His mind was swimming with confusion, "Nobody," Riku said quickly. "Just… nobody," before Sora could respond, he said, "What are you doing up so early?"

The shorter boy shrugged, "I was woken up. I was in the middle of dreaming, then,_"_ he made a gesture with his hands,_ "_suddenly awake. Isn't that weird?"

"Huh."

"Anyway, I had the urge to go for a walk. Then I saw you. Hey, let's get something to eat, I'm hungry."

"You're _always _hungry, Sora."

"Am not!"

Riku chuckled at that, then suddenly Sora seemed thoughtful – for a while he seemed to zone out, and all Riku could do was stare curiously.

He had his brows furrowed as if he were thinking hard about something. "I really missed you, Riku."

Turquoise eyes blinked, "What?"

"You know… the entire journey I worried about Kairi the most, I knew you could take care of yourself," Riku begged to differ, "I was so wrapped up in things - even before we left the island - that when I saw you again I got all choked up. And when we were sitting at the Dark Margin, just the two of us…" he could see Sora fighting for the right words, "I realised just how much I missed you. And, I guess how much you mean to me."

What was going on? Was it something he had been thinking about for a while now?

He kept going, "If we hadn't found a way out of that place I would have been content to just sit there and talk forever, because I was with you."

Riku dared to hope that Sora had felt the same completion he did at the time, when they sat there, finally together.

"_At least the waves sound the same."_

His heart was beating fast but he talked slowly, "Thank you," Riku said, to Sora _and _Roxas. "I think a café around here opens around this time," he smiled crookedly.

Sora blinked, than grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, this way? Let's go!"

He took Riku's hand in his, and the turquoise-eyed boy wondered if this was going to be a regular thing.

He didn't mind, really.

* * *

FIN.

Anyway, yes, the quotes.

" _- want to see him…But, can you face him?"_

"_The world of Darkness and Ansem's shadow still nests within your heart. Do you plan to face Sora like that?"_

"_Are you not ashamed?"_

"_- fate is to battle the Darkness. He must oppose anyone who hosts the dark. In other words – it's you."_

These quotes are from Chain of Memories, all from Zexion who was being a huge butt and basically telling Riku that he was way too Darkness-y for Sora's Light.

**x**

"_Tell me first. Why you are dressed as one of us."_

"_To make sure my best friend rests in peace."_

"_This keyblade – it's a sham."_

" – _Why? You're the real sham!"_

"… _Fair enough. I guess you could say… I'm the biggest nobody of them all."_

This scene is from 358/2 Days. One of my favourite scenes, gets me every time. Xion has to try and take Riku out because he's dressed in the coat. Riku calls himself the biggest nobody of them all. I cried tears everywhere. Oh, and just in case, all memories of Xion were wiped out when she died, so yeah, that's why in this fic Riku doesn't know who she is.

**x**

"_You really are his Nobody."_

"_I am ME!"_

**x**

"_How many times do I have to beat you?"_

"_All right. You've left me with no other choice."_

"_What?"_

"_I have to release the power in my heart – the dark power that I've been holding back. Even… If it changes me forever."_

Both are from 358/2 Days. Didn't know which guy I should feel more sorry for.

**x**

_"When I met Namine, she told me… she wanted **me** to face the Darkness, because I'm the one who **can,"** Riku said slowly._

This is referring to Chain of Memories, Riku and Namine met for the first time, and she asked him to pick between saving his heart from the Darkness (which would in turn wipe out his memories), or keep his his memories _and _the Darkness. Obviously Riku said he would risk the Darkness, and then Namine said that.

**_x_**

"_At least the waves sound the same."_

And, last but not least, this scene. Kingdom Hearts 2, obviously, at the Dark Margin.

**x**

Ugh there was this one scene that I REALLY wanted in this fic, but nooo, couldn't find a place to squish it in. It's the one in Chain of Memories when King Mickey appears and Riku says that he had been alone for so long, it was overwhelming to have a friend with him. He got all relieved and choked up, and i was crying.

Also, thought I should add, the title of this fic is the title of a song by Fun.. It's a good song. If you listen to the words you'll understand why I chose it to be the title.

Anyway, I don't think anyone really read that, but I hope you enjoyed! Have a nice day.


End file.
